Twisted Tower: Nightmarish Carnival Meets Retro Shooter

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Twisted Tower is a thrilling, first-person horror shooter that blends the eerie ambiance of games like BioShock with the quirky charm of Willy Wonka and Disneyland. The game follows Tiny’s journey as he searches for his lost love, Charlotte, within the towering structure named after it. As players delve deeper, they encounter distorted versions of classic amusement park attractions and fight against menacing animatronic mascots, all under the control of the enigmatic Mr. Twister. A demo on Steam allows players to experience the initial hours of Twisted Tower‘s spine-tingling storyline.

I recently had a fascinating conversation with Thomas Brush, the art director and lead project manager at Atmos Games, who shared insights about their transition from creating 2D sidescrollers to a 3D first-person shooter (FPS), namely Twisted Tower. He also enlightened us on how this new game ties into Atmos’ previous works, the creative process behind designing its eerie yet carnivalesque settings, and even some of his personal favorite enemies and weapon choices within the game. For the sake of conciseness and clarity, our discussion has been condensed.

How Atmos Made The Jump to 3D With Twisted Tower

A. Since your previous works were 2D side-scrollers, could you share some difficulties you encountered when transitioning to a 3D First-Person Shooter (FPS) for Twisted Tower instead?

Previously, I created a YouTube video titled “Creating a 3D Game Isn’t as Difficult as You Might Think.” Looking back, that video seems rather naive. While it’s true that setting up a visually appealing 3D scene in Unity with trees and character control is relatively simple, other aspects – the ones that really define a game as a game – are incredibly complex when working in three dimensions. For instance, level design. In 2D games, players can move vertically or horizontally. Getting lost isn’t much of an issue for players because they can eventually figure it out. But in 3D, even the simplest levels can lead to players becoming genuinely lost.

During one of our initial test plays, we encountered an unfortunate situation that was quite disheartening. The game turned out to be incredibly dull, mainly due to the players’ desire to explore, which wasn’t supposed to happen at that particular stage. In retrospect, I must admit that when I initially ventured into 3D game development, I was oblivious to optimization, a critical aspect that can cause quite a headache in 3D environments. To put it plainly, Twisted Tower still requires some optimization adjustments. This involves tackling a multitude of challenges common in game creation: lightmapping, physics, collision detection, and user interface (particularly when it comes to designing an efficient menu with all the settings a 3D gamer would expect).

Previously, you mentioned that Twisted Tower would continue to align with the style of your previous works. How does Twisted Tower maintain this consistency following Pinstripe and Neversong?

A. To my team members, I frequently emphasize: I strive for my games to evoke a specific scent. The aroma of my games is reminiscent of popcorn, cotton candy, the crisp air before a storm, and smoke. My aspiration is that players will sense this distinctive “aroma.” This atmospheric “scent” holds a special place for me, as it harks back to cherished memories from my childhood: the scent of popcorn prior to watching a Tim Burton film, the cool October night air while sitting next to your high school crush on a Ferris wheel during a storm, and the faint whiff of wood smoke as you explored an unfamiliar neighborhood on Halloween. These are familiar sensations that we all associate with our past – they are the sensations I still hold dear, as most others have faded from memory.

Q. What would you say is the overall theme of Twisted Tower in terms of its story?

A. Are you worth it?

Q. How did you approach designing Twisted Tower’s environments and enemies?

Initially titled “Happy Hotel,” the game had a strong connection to the Hotel Cortez from American Horror Story. However, when our 3D artist returned from Disney Land, we decided to incorporate more Disney-inspired features into the game. This change caused some concern for me, as the art director and project lead, wondering how to shift an Art Deco hotel to a theme park setting. The team suggested that instead of completely changing it, we could transition the 1920s Art Deco style to the earlier Art Nouveau style. This transformation not only preserved some Art Deco elements, but also introduced intricate, flowing “fairy tale” elements, resulting in a delightful blend.

While Art Nouveau provided a foundation for the whimsical “fairy tale park” atmosphere, it only scratched the surface. Merely incorporating Art Nouveau elements and traditional classical music left the world feeling merely classical. To enrich this experience, we introduced an abundance of carnival-inspired decorations. This included bold red and cream stripes, flags, banners, string lights, posters, popcorn machines, snack stands, a carousel, statues reminiscent of cartoons, and the delightful sound of public domain cartoon episodes emanating from distant corridors.

Incorporating animal mascots wielding knives, transforms this into an extraordinary “fairy tale-themed amusement park of the 1950s”. Achieving that unique atmosphere within the settings and characters was the most costly and laborious phase in the game’s development. Additionally, repeatedly modifying level layouts made for a difficult process. However, I believe this is the cornerstone of the entire game. Without that eerie fairy tale-meets-nightmare ambiance, the game would essentially be a typical shooter from the mid-2000s. Initially, our aim was to create a mid-2000s shooter, as I have fond memories of those games. However, wrapping it in a chilling fairy-tale motif was what we believed would make our game distinctive and exceptional. And we believe we’ve succeeded!

Could you tell me about the character or enemy design you most enjoy in the game, as well as your preferred weapon in that game?

Mr. Quackers consistently gives me a startle response. He wasn’t as aggressive towards players earlier, but my brother insists that a duck wielding a shotgun is an ideal adversary for the player. Now, it’s one of the most terrifying foes in the game. Watching streamers face off against Mr. Quackers is quite entertaining. Regarding weapons, I’m particularly fond of the Ticklin’ Tommy. I’m incredibly proud of Felipe’s design for this character, and I’m equally pleased with both the reload animation and shoot animation. It just feels extremely satisfying to fire it off.

As a huge fan of the Twisted Tower, let me share some insights into the creative process behind its unique “playful armament.” Designing weapons here is more than just creating tools for combat; it’s about crafting experiences that are engaging, innovative, and fun.

To prepare these toys for launch, we meticulously test each design, ensuring they function as intended and offer an exciting addition to the gameplay. It’s all about finding the perfect balance between realism, aesthetics, and playability, making sure every weapon is not only effective but also a joy to use.

B. We spent a considerable amount of time examining vintage toy guns from Google Images, noting common features such as rubber bands, marbles, flimsy wooden handles, plastic tips, tin casing, darts, among others. However, the issue is that these toys, on first glance, appear to be weapons due to their construction with tin and rubber bands, which makes them feel less potent or effective. Despite their unusual and amusing appearance, they lack the satisfying sensation of firing and the enjoyment that comes with it.

As a movie enthusiast, I’ll put it this way: Instead of trying to soften the sound of guns to make them seem more toy-like, we decided to embrace the raw power of real gunshots. However, we didn’t completely ditch the toy element; instead, we added subtle touches like a rubber band sound during reload for the Miss Fire rubber band pistol, just enough to keep that playful feel. The rest was typical gun sounds, and it all came together wonderfully, creating a balance between reality and fun.

Q. Does the demonstration hint at more paths becoming accessible during future game sessions? In what way does the game ensure repeat play value?

A. In the current version of the game, you’ll find about a dozen different “crossroads” scattered throughout. When you start a new game, these crossroads are randomly selected. Once you complete the game, all the various paths are saved in that specific save file for the “Adventure Plus” mode. This means players can either have a random journey or replay the paths they took during their initial playthrough.

Has Twisted Tower been released only on PC so far? Is there a chance that it might also come out on consoles in the future?

I’m really excited about this! I believe it could perform well across multiple platforms. Ideally, it will succeed on Steam, allowing me to justify the investment needed to make it available on consoles as well.

Q. Is there anything else you would like to share?

It seems there’s a void in the gaming industry for titles reminiscent of classics like Half-Life and Bioshock. When visualizing my ideal gamer, it’s someone similar to myself – an overworked dad seeking a straightforward, narrative-driven, linear shooter game, offering an experience he enjoyed during his teenage years. Twisted Tower is designed with story and atmosphere in mind, catering to this niche. I believe the market is craving such games, and I’m optimistic that Twisted Tower could be the solution!

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2025-02-26 19:54